Optical illumination for status indication

ABSTRACT

An illumination system is provided for an optical system that includes an imaging device for acquiring an image of a target, for decoding of a symbol or other analysis. The illumination system can include a first light source configured to provide illumination of a first wavelength, a second light source configured to provide illumination of a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength. The light sources can be controlled for operations that include: illuminating the target with the first and second light sources simultaneously for acquisition of the image of the target; and altering an illumination output of at least one of the first light source or the second light source, while maintaining non-zero illumination output for at least one of the first light source or the second light source, to indicate a status of the optical system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority, as a continuation application, to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/252,170 filed on Jan. 18, 2019 and titled“Optical Illumination for Status Indication,” the entirety of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

In many applications it may be useful to illuminate targets for imageacquisition, such as optical codes that are to be decoded. It may alsobe useful to provide an indication regarding the status of an imageacquisition or other system, such as to provide information regardingsuccess in decoding attempts. In some contexts, for example, statusindicators can communicate whether an optical code was accuratelydecoded.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the technology provide an illumination system for anoptical system that includes an imaging device that is configured toacquire an image of a target, for decoding of a symbol on the target orother analysis. The illumination system can have a plurality of lightsources, including a first light source configured to provideillumination of a first wavelength and a second light source configuredto provide illumination of a second wavelength that is different fromthe first wavelength. The illumination system can also have a controllerdevice configured to control the plurality of light sources foroperations that include: illuminating the target, using the first andsecond light sources simultaneously, for acquisition of the image of thetarget by the optical system; and altering an illumination output of atleast one of the first light source or the second light source, whilemaintaining non-zero illumination output for at least one of the firstlight source or the second light source, to indicate a status of theoptical system after the acquisition of the image.

Some embodiments of the technology provide an optical system foracquiring an image of a target to decode a symbol in the image orperform other analysis. The optical system can have an imaging deviceconfigured to acquire the image, and an illumination system. Theillumination system can include a plurality of light sources, includinga first light source configured to provide illumination of a firstwavelength and a second light source configured to provide illuminationof a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength. Theillumination provided by the second light source can substantiallyoverlap with the illumination provided by the first light source. Theillumination system can also include a controller device configured tocontrol the plurality of light sources for operations that include:illuminating the target, using the first and second light sourcessimultaneously, for acquisition of the image of the target by theimaging device; and reducing an illumination output of the first lightsource, while maintaining non-zero illumination output for the secondlight source, to indicate a status of the optical system after theacquisition of the image.

Some embodiments of the technology provide a method for indicating astatus for image acquisition or analysis, for use with an optical systemthat includes a controller device, an imaging device that is configuredto acquire an image of a target for decoding of a symbol on the targetor other analysis, and an illumination system. The illumination systemcan include a plurality of light sources including a first light sourceconfigured to provide illumination of a first wavelength and a secondlight source configured to provide illumination of a second wavelengththat is different from the first wavelength. The method can includeilluminating the target, using the first and second light sourcessimultaneously, for acquisition of an image of the target by the imagingdevice. Using the controller device, a first status of the opticalsystem can be identified, related to at least one of acquisition oranalysis of an image of the target. An illumination output of at leastone of the first light source or the second light source can be altered,while non-zero illumination output for at least one of the first lightsource or the second light source is maintained, to indicate visually onthe target the first status of the optical system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthis specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofembodiments of the technology:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical system illuminating a targetfor image acquisition, according to an embodiment of the technology;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the optical system shown in FIG. 1illuminating the target to indicate system status, according to anembodiment of the technology;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of an illumination system integratedwith an imaging device, according to an embodiment of the technology;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the imaging device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a computer-implemented methodfor providing a status indicator, according to an embodiment of thetechnology; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the timing of operations of anillumination system, according to an embodiment of the technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the technology are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the technology is not limited in its applicationto the details of construction and the arrangement of components setforth in the following description or illustrated in the followingdrawings. The technology is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for thepurpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The useof “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof hereinis meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalentsthereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limitedotherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled”and variations thereof in structural contexts are used broadly andencompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, andcouplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted tophysical or mechanical connections or couplings.

Some embodiments of the technology can be implemented as systems and/ormethods, including computer-implemented methods. Some embodiments of thetechnology can include (or utilize) a device such as an automationdevice, a special purpose or general purpose computer including variouscomputer hardware, software, firmware, and so on, consistent with thediscussion below.

In some implementations, aspects of the technology, includingcomputerized implementations of methods according to the technology, canbe implemented as a system, method, apparatus, or article of manufactureusing standard programming and/or engineering techniques to producesoftware, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control acomputer or other processor device to implement aspects detailed herein.The term “article of manufacture” as used herein is intended toencompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readabledevice, carrier (e.g., non-transitory signals), or media (e.g.,non-transitory media). For example, non-transitory computer-readablemedia can include but are not limited to magnetic storage devices (e.g.,hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips, and so on), optical disks(e.g., compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), and so on),smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick). Of course,those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications may be madeto these configurations without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe claimed subject matter.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use embodiments of the technology. Various modificationsto the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to otherembodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of thetechnology. Thus, embodiments of the technology are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Thefollowing detailed description is to be read with reference to thefigures, in which like elements in different figures have like referencenumerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depictselected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope ofembodiments of the technology. Skilled artisans will recognize theexamples provided herein have many useful alternatives that fall withinthe scope of embodiments of the technology.

Some of the discussion below describes illumination systems for opticalsystems that can illuminate and acquire an image of a target, includinga symbol, such as a barcode, and can provide optical indicators ofassociated system statuses. The context and particulars of thisdiscussion are presented as examples only. For example, embodiments ofthe disclosed technology can be arranged in various configurations,including with more, fewer, or different elements for illuminating atarget than are expressly presented below. Similarly, although certainstatus indicators are specifically discussed below, embodiments of thetechnology can be used to provide any number of status indicators,including those relating to the status of decoding of images and others.

In conventional arrangements, status information for an optical systemcan be provided using illumination elements, such as light emittingdiodes (LEDs), or other types of status indicators, that are arranged tobe directly viewed (or otherwise directly engaged) by an operator. Forexample, some conventional status indicators include a dedicated statuslight that is arranged to be directly viewed by an operator to indicatea system status. For example, an LED on a handheld optical scanner canbe positioned to face an operator (e.g., away from an imaging target)during use of the scanner. Such an LED can then be illuminated todirectly provide visual status information to the operator. Anotherexample of a conventional status indicator is an audible indication thatprovides status information through various sounds emitted from adevice. A further example of a conventional status indicator is a formof tactile response such as a vibration.

Although conventional arrangements can provide useful indications of asystem status, they can be limited in their effectiveness, including dueto aspects of the environments in which they are employed. For example,some environments can be too noisy for operators to hear an auditorystatus indicator. Similarly, in some environments, an operator may notbe positioned for easy direct viewing of a status indicator. Forexample, in presentation mode operations, an imaging device may bepositioned remotely from an operator, so that the operator may berequired to shift his or her attention away from a task at hand—e.g., tolook upward—in order to view a status indicator that is displayed on theimaging device itself. Similarly, in some environments, a system may beremotely mounted such that any tactile feedback cannot be readily feltby an operator. Or lighting that is conducive to visual indication in aparticular environment may vary from light that appropriately supportsimage acquisition or other operations. Conventional arrangements canalso be limited with regard to the number of different statuses thatthey can communicate.

Embodiments of the technology can address these or other issues. Forexample, in some embodiments, a light source on an optical system canproject a status of the optical system (e.g., after acquiring an image)directly onto a target, such as a scanning area for presentation modeoperations. In this way, for example, operators can readily view statusindicators without needing to look away from the target. In someembodiments, the use of overlapping light sources for image acquisitionand status indication can allow for customizable and varied indicationof multiple statuses.

In some embodiments, a light source for projecting status indicators canalso be used for illumination of an object during image acquisition. Forexample, illumination output of multiple light source can be projectedonto a target to acquire an image. After acquisition of the image,illumination from one or more of the light sources can be altered (e.g.,dimmed, brightened, or turned off) to change the appearance of theprojected light and thereby indicate, on the image-acquisition target, astatus of the optical system.

As another example, some embodiments of the technology can illuminate atarget using a first light source with a first wavelength and a secondlight source with a second wavelength. After acquisition of an imagefrom the target, as enabled by the combined illumination from the firstand second light sources, illumination from the first light source orthe second light source can be altered (e.g., dimmed, brightened, orturned off) to change the visible appearance of illumination projectedby the light source(s), and thereby indicate a status of the opticalsystem. In some embodiments, different appearances of the projectedillumination (e.g., separate projections of different or multiplecolors), as provided by selective control of continued illumination bymultiple light sources, can be used to selectively indicate differentstatuses of the relevant system.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example illumination system 30 to be used in anoptical system 10 with an imaging device 20, according to an embodimentof the technology. The illumination system 30 is configured toilluminate a target 40 and the imaging device 20 is configured toacquire an image of the target 40, such as may be useful for decoding asymbol 50 within the acquired image or performing other analysis. Insome embodiments, for example, other analysis can include assessment ofimage sharpness (i.e., image focus) or of alignment of the imagingdevice 20, identification of errors relating to the symbol 50 or otherfeatures, assessment of object dimensions, and so on

In different embodiments, different configurations are possible, forexample, the illumination system 30 may be integrated into the imagingdevice 20 as shown here. Or an illumination system can be installedseparately from an imaging device (e.g., at a remote location).Similarly, in some configurations, a different orientation or otherarrangement of an optical system can be employed. For example, in theillustrated embodiment, the optical system 10 is configured forpresentation operations, in which an operator can move an object (e.g.,a box with the target 40 on one face thereof) into alignment with theimaging device 20. In other configurations, for example, an opticalsystem according to the technology can be configured for other types ofoperations, including portable operations (e.g., with the optical systemas a handheld system).

Generally, illumination systems according to embodiments of thetechnology can include multiple light sources, which can be controlledat least partly independently from each other. For example, theillumination system 30 includes a plurality of light sources 32, 34including a first light source and a second light source. Further, acontroller device, such as an embedded processor device 36, can beconfigured to control the first and second light sources 32, 34 toprovide controlled aspects (e.g., brightness levels) of illumination.

In some embodiments, it may be useful to provide light sources that areconfigured to illuminate a target with different colors of light (i.e.,with light of different wavelengths), such as may help to increase thecontrast between features of interest and background. In this regard,for example, the first light source 32 is configured to provideillumination of a first wavelength. The first wavelength can be anywavelength, including from ultraviolet (e.g., approximately 10 nm to 400nm) through infrared (e.g., approximately 700 nm to 100 μm), andincluding wavelengths in the visible light spectrum (e.g., approximately400 nm-700 nm). In some embodiments, a first light source can beconfigured to selectively provide illumination in different wavelengths.In some embodiments, a first light source can include an arrangement ofa first number of light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as a plurality ofinfrared or multi-spectrum LEDs.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second light source 34 is configuredto provide illumination of a second wavelength different from the firstwavelength. Similarly to the first light source 32, the second lightsource 32 can be configured to provide illumination with any wavelength,including from ultraviolet (e.g., approximately 10 nm to 400 nm) throughinfrared (e.g., approximately 700 nm to 100 μm), and includingwavelengths in the visible light spectrum (e.g., approximately 400nm-700 nm). In some embodiments, a second light source can be configuredto selectively provide illumination in different wavelengths. In someembodiments, a second light source can include an arrangement of asecond number of LEDs, such as a plurality of visible specific- ormulti-spectrum LEDs.

In some cases, it may be useful to combine visible illumination from onelight source with non-visible illumination from another light source.For example, with the first wavelength of the first light source in theinfrared (or ultraviolet) spectrum, it may be useful to provide thesecond wavelength of the second light source in any wavelength withinthe visible light spectrum. This may be useful, for example, in order toprovide appropriate illumination for image acquisition while avoidinglighting that is overly intense or visibly intrusive for operators.

In some embodiments in which the first light source includes anarrangement of a first number of LEDs (or other lights) and the secondlight source includes an arrangement of a second number of LEDs (orother lights), the second number of LEDs can be different than the firstnumber of LEDs. Further, in some embodiments, the second number of LEDscan be smaller than the first number of LEDs. In this regard, forexample, it may be possible to provide more intense illumination in aparticular spectrum, including, for example, a non-visible spectrum.

In some cases, a third (or other additional) light source can beprovided. For example, in some embodiments, the illumination system 30also includes a third light source 38 that can also be controlled by theprocessor device 36. Usefully, the third light source 38 can beconfigured to provide illumination of a third wavelength that isdifferent from the first and second wavelengths, including wavelengthsover ranges similar to the first and second light sources 32, 34 orotherwise.

Still referring to FIG. 1 in particular, the illumination system 30 isshown acquiring an image of the target 40 including the symbol 50. Asshown here, the illumination system 30 is located above the target 40for the target 40 presented to the imaging device 20 and theillumination system 30, although other configurations are possible.

During the acquisition of the image, the target 40 is simultaneouslyilluminated with the first light source 32 providing a firstillumination pattern and the second light source 34 providing a secondillumination pattern. The solid lines extending between the illuminationsystem 30 and the target 40 in FIG. 1 illustrate the combinedsimultaneous illumination provided by the first and second wavelengthsof the first and second light sources, respectively. In someembodiments, including as illustrated, first and second illuminationpatterns of first and second light sources substantially overlap inorder to provide a unified illumination pattern (e.g., the illuminationpattern 42).

In different embodiments, different types of illumination patterns anddifferent combinations of wavelengths can be provided, as appropriate tosupport appropriate acquisition of images. For example, in somecontexts, image acquisition may be most appropriately executed usingprimarily red, infrared, or other wavelengths of light. In theillustrated embodiment, the first and second lights sources 32, 34 (and,as appropriate, the third light source 38, or others) can be controlledto provide the unified illumination pattern 42. For example, infraredLEDs in the first light source 32 can be illuminated to provide a maincomponent of illumination for image acquisition, while visible-lightLEDs in the second and third light sources 34, 38 can be activated toprovide a particular visible color for the unified illumination pattern42. In other implementations, of course, other combinations ofwavelengths can be used, to provide any variety of illumination of thetarget 40 during image acquisition.

Usefully, in some embodiments, the same light source(s) used forillumination of a target during image acquisition can remain illuminatedthereafter in order to provide an indicator of a system status. Forexample, after the imaging device 20 acquires the image, the processordevice 36 can identify a status of the optical system 10 related to theacquisition or analysis of the image. The status of the optical system10 can include, for example, statuses relating to an in-focus aspect ofthe acquired image, an out-of-focus aspect of the image, a misalignmentof the imaging device 20, a successful decoding of the symbol 50 withinthe image, an unsuccessful decoding of the symbol 50 within the image,an error message related to the symbol 50, a determination of dimensions(e.g., 3D dimensions of the target 40), or other aspects associated withthe imaging and decoding of the symbol 50.

Once a relevant status has been identified, the processor device 36 cancontrol the illumination system 30 to indicate the status of the opticalsystem 10 via continued projection of light onto the target 40. Forexample, the processor device 36 can be configured to alter anillumination output of the first light source 32, the second lightsource 34, the third light source 38, or any combination of the first,second, or third light sources 32, 34, 38, while continuing to projectnon-zero illumination output for at least one of the light sources 32,34, 38 onto the target 40. In this way, for example, a visual indicatorof the identified system status can be projected onto the target 40 by aset (e.g., a subset) of the light sources 32, 34, 38 that are used toilluminate the target 40 for image acquisition.

Further, in some configurations, the profile of a unified illuminationpattern for image acquisition can be maintained during use of anillumination pattern to indicate an identified status. For example, atleast one of the respective individual illumination patterns of thelight sources 32, 34, 38 can be preserved during the altering ofillumination output for status indication, via control of the first,second, or third light sources 32, 34, 38. In this way, astatus-indicator unified illumination pattern 42A (see FIG. 2) toindicate system status can be controlled to exhibit a substantiallyidentical profile as (i.e., to substantially geometrically overlap with)the image-acquisition unified illumination pattern 42 (see FIG. 1).

In different implementations, altering one or more light sources toindicate a status may include a variety of different operations. As oneexample, altering the illumination output can include reducing theillumination output of (i.e., dimming) one or more light sources,increasing the illumination output of (i.e., brightening) one or morelight sources, or turning-off one or more light sources. In this regard,for example, some particular light source can be dimmed or brightened bydimming or brightening one or more individual light elements included inthe light source.

In some implementations, altering an illumination output can includechanging an illumination color. For example, in some configurations, oneor more light sources can include an arrangement of LEDs of variouscolors (e.g., red, blue, green, etc.) capable of illuminating the target40 in visible light of various wavelengths. Accordingly, for example,through selective control of certain LEDs, a variety of light colors(e.g., white light, predominantly light of predominantly one color, andso on) and patterns can be projected onto a target to indicate one ormore different system statuses.

In this regard, in some implementations, the status for a successfuldecoding of an image can be indicated by turning off or otherwisereducing illumination from the first light source 32 (e.g.,predominantly infrared light) while continuing to illuminate the target40 with the second light source 34. As appropriate, for example, thesecond light source 34 can illuminate the target 40 with green light andcan thereby provide a green afterglow on the illumination pattern 42Aafter a successful decoding of the image. This status indication isillustrated in FIG. 2 in which the dashed lines extending between theillumination system 30 and the target 40 represent an afterglow of greenlight provided only by the second light source. Other variations andcombinations of alterations of the first and second (or other) lightsources can be provided to indicate various statuses of the opticalsystem 10.

In some embodiments, it may be useful to illuminate a target fordifferent amounts of time to indicate a system status and to acquire animage. For example, for the illustrated embodiment, the target 40 can beilluminated for a shorter time for acquisition of an image than forproviding an indication of a status (i.e., provide the alteredillumination output). In some cases, the altered illumination output canilluminate the target 40 to indicate a system status for five timeslonger, or more, than the target 40 is illuminated for acquisition of animage.

As also discussed above, any number of different light sources can beused, in a variety of combinations, in order to illuminate a target forimage acquisition and for indication of system statuses. For example,the target 40 can be illuminated using the light sources 32, 34, 38simultaneously for acquisition of the image by the imaging device 20.Then, for example, the illumination output of at least one of the firstor second light sources 32, 34 can be reduced, while non-zeroillumination output is maintained for the third light source 38, toindicate a first status of the optical system. Similarly, for example,the illumination output of at least one of the first or third lightsources 32, 38 can be altered, while non-zero illumination output ismaintained for the second light source 34, to indicate a second statusof the optical system 10 that is different from the first status.

In some embodiments, an illumination system according to the technologycan be integrated into an imaging device. Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4,for example, an illumination system 130 according to an embodiment ofthe present technology is shown integrated into an imaging device 120.Generally, the illumination system 130 can be used to illuminate atarget for image acquisition and indication of system status, includingaccording to the principles discussed above. In this regard, forexample, a first light source includes a plurality of LEDs 132. Indifferent configurations, the plurality of LEDs 132 may provideillumination in various wavelengths including ultraviolet, infrared, andvisible light, and, if the illumination is provided in the visible lightspectrum, the plurality of LEDs 132 can contain LEDs of different colors(e.g., red, blue, green, etc.). For example, the plurality of LEDs 132may include primarily red or white LEDs. In another example, theplurality of LEDs 132 may contain combinations of infrared, ultraviolet,and visible-light LEDs of various colors.

Similarly, a second light source includes a second LED 134, such as canprovide one or more colors of visible light, such as green light orother colors. A third light source is also shown, including a third LED136 that can provide one or more other colors of visible light, such asred or blue, or other colors. Similarly to light sources in otherembodiments, the LEDs 132, 134, 136 can be controlled by an on-boardcontroller (not shown), by a remotely located controller, or by acombination thereof.

In some embodiments, other combinations of lights can be included thanare discussed above. For example, in some embodiments, the LEDs 134, 136may both illuminate a target with the same visible wavelength of light.Similarly, in some embodiments, the LEDs 132, 134, 136 may allilluminate a target with primarily visible light, in differentcombinations (e.g., six LEDs for each of three different visiblecolors).

In different embodiments, other components can also be included. Forexample, the imaging device 120 also includes a camera 140, a sensor 150for measuring the distance between a target and the camera 140, a laserprojector 160 that can be configured to mark the center and edges of thefield of view of the camera 140, and a lens 170 that extends over thecamera 140.

In some embodiments other benefits can also be provided. For example, anacquisition phase for the camera 140 can be configured to runcontinuously until an image of a target is acquired, such as with asampling rate of 30-60 frames a second, with illumination foracquisition and status indication controlled appropriately.

In some operations of the imaging device 120, the LEDs 132, 134, 136 canbe controlled (e.g., by an on-board controller) in order to collectivelyilluminate a target (not shown) for acquisition of an image by thecamera 140. In this regard, for example, illumination patterns from theLEDs 132, 134, 136 may substantially overlap, such that the predominanceof the red or white LEDs 132 may result in a primarily red or whiteillumination pattern. Upon determination of a system status, such as mayrelate to a successful image acquisition, an out-of-focus image, asuccessful or unsuccessful decoding attempt, and so on, illumination bythe LEDs 132, 134, 136 can then be altered so that an illuminationpattern of a different appearance can provide a visual indicator of thesystem status on the imaging target. For example, to indicate asuccessful read, the LEDs 132, 136 may be dimmed or turned off, so thatgreen light from the LED 134 is visually predominant on the target.Similarly, for an unsuccessful read, the LEDs 132, 134 may be dimmed orturned off, so that red or blue light from the LED 136 is visuallypredominant on the target. In this regard, for example, as alsodiscussed above, it may also (or alternatively) be possible to intensifythe illumination from select LEDs (e.g., the LEDs 134, 136) or otherwisecontrol illumination to provide similar effect.

In some embodiments, other alteration of lighting to indicate a systemstatus may also be possible. For example, illumination of certain lightsources can be modulated so that an illumination patterns flickers orotherwise changes (e.g., changes colors) to indicate any number ofstatuses.

In some embodiments, certain of the operations discussed above, orothers, can be executed as a part of a computer-implemented method. Forexample, a method 200, as illustrated in FIG. 5, can be implemented byan embedded or other processing device (e.g., the device 36 of FIGS. 1and 2) or other computing system, in order to control aspects ofillumination for image acquisition and status indication for an imagingdevice (e.g., the device 20 of FIGS. 1 and 2). In this regard, forexample, the method 200 can include illuminating 210 a target bysimultaneous use of multiple, overlapping light sources, for acquisitionof an image of a target. A first status of an optical system thatincludes the imaging device, related to at least one of the acquisitionof the image or an analysis of the image, can then be identified 220.Based upon the nature of the identified 220 status, an illuminationoutput of at least one of the light sources can then be altered 230,while non-zero illumination output is maintained 232 for at least onelight source associated with the optical system, to indicate 240visually on the target the identified 220 status of the optical system.

Some discussion above refers to status information that is providedafter an image is acquired. In some cases, status information may beprovided immediately after an image is acquired. In some cases, statusinformation may be provided only following a delay of some amount oftime after an image is acquired. In some implementations, statusinformation may relate directly to an image for which the immediatelypreceding (and subsequently altered) image-acquisition illumination isutilized. In some implementations, status information may relate to animage that precedes an image for which the immediately preceding (andsubsequently altered) image-acquisition illumination is utilized. Forexample, FIG. 6 illustrates example simultaneous timing graphs 300, 302,304, 306 for an image acquisition, a first light source, a second lightsource, and image processing, respectively, showing activation of thedifferent relevant components over time. In the implementationillustrated, for example, a first image can be acquired 308, with thefirst and second light sources activated 310, 312. Image processing 314,such as for decoding of a symbol from the first image acquisition, canthen proceed. Thereafter (or otherwise), a second image can be acquired316, with the first and second light sources activated 318, 320. Basedon the results of the image processing from the first image, the secondlight source can then be caused to remain illuminated 322, after thefirst light source is turned off (following the second image acquisition316), to provide associated status information.

In other implementations, other configurations are possible. Forexample, certain features and combinations of features that arediscussed above with respect to particular implementations can beutilized in other embodiments and in other combinations, as appropriate.In some implementations, operations in the methods disclosed herein,including the methods depicted in the FIGS., can be executed indifferent orders or simultaneously, including through operationsexecuted by parallel processing devices.

Thus, embodiments of the technology can provide improved statusidentification for optical systems. In some embodiments, for example,providing a status by illuminating a target can substantially reduce thetime and effort that may be required to know whether an acquired imagewas successfully decoded (or otherwise ascertain a relevant status),such as by obviating the need of an operator to look away from thetarget.

As similarly discussed above, certain operations disclosed herein can beimplemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware,firmware, software, or in combinations of them. The implementation canbe as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangiblyembodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storagedevice or in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control theoperation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processordevice, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program can bewritten in any form of programming language, including compiled orinterpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including asa stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or otherunit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program canbe deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers atone site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by acommunication network. A depicted processor device, component, or modulecan be combined with any other processor device, component, or module ordivided into various sub-processors, subcomponents, or submodules. Suchcan be variously combined according to embodiments herein.

Operations of methods disclosed herein steps can be performed by one ormore programmable processor devices executing a computer program toperform functions of the technology by operating on input data andgenerating output. Operations of methods can also be performed by, andapparatuses can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry,e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit). Modules can refer to portionsof the computer program and/or the processor/special circuitry thatimplements that functionality.

Processor devices suitable for the execution of a computer programinclude, by way of example, both general and special purposemicroprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digitalcomputer. Generally, a processor device receives instructions and datafrom a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essentialelements of a computer are a processor device for executing instructionsand one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data.Generally, a computer also includes, or be operatively coupled toreceive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storagedevices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical, or opticaldisks. Data transmission and instructions can also occur over acommunications network. Information carriers suitable for embodyingcomputer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatilememory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internalhard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM andDVD-ROM disks. The processor device and the memory can be supplementedby, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, the above described operationscan be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT(cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, fordisplaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device,e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to thecomputer (e.g., interact with a user interface element). Other kinds ofdevices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; forexample, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensoryfeedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback;and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic,speech, or tactile input.

The above described operations can be implemented in a distributedcomputing system that includes a back-end component, e.g., as a dataserver, and/or a middleware component, e.g., an application server,and/or a frontend component, e.g., a client computer having a graphicaluser interface and/or a Web browser through which a user can interactwith an example implementation, or any combination of such back-end,middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication,e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”),e.g., the Internet, and include both wired and wireless networks.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable a person skilled in the art to make or use the technology.Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein maybe applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit orscope of the technology. Thus, the technology is not intended to belimited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widestscope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed hereinand claimed below.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An imaging device for acquiring images of atarget, for decoding of a symbol on the target or other analysis, theimaging device comprising: a camera, including a lens; and anillumination system connected to the camera, the illumination systemincluding: a plurality of light sources, including a first light sourceconfigured to provide illumination of a first wavelength and a secondlight source configured to provide illumination of a second wavelengththat is different from the first wavelength; and a controller deviceconfigured to control the plurality of light sources to executeoperations that include: illuminating the target, using the first andsecond light sources simultaneously, for acquisition of an image of thetarget by the camera; and reducing an illumination output of at leastone of the first light source or the second light source, whilemaintaining non-zero illumination output for at least one of the firstlight source or the second light source, wherein reducing theillumination output of at least one of the first light source or thesecond light source provides an indication of a status of the cameraafter the acquisition of the image.
 2. The imaging device of claim 1,wherein the illumination system is integrated into the camera.
 3. Theimaging device of claim 1, wherein reducing the illumination output ofat least the first light source or the second light source includesturning off at least the first light source.
 4. The imaging device ofclaim 1, wherein reducing the illumination output of at least the firstlight source or the second light source, while maintaining non-zeroillumination output for at least one of the first light source or thesecond light source, provides a change in an illumination colorprojected by the plurality of light sources onto the target; and whereinthe change in the illumination color indicates the status of the camera.5. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the status indicated byreducing the illumination output of at least the first light source,while maintaining non-zero illumination output for at least one of thefirst light source or the second light source, is a successful decodingof the symbol.
 6. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the statusindicated by reducing the illumination output of at least the firstlight source, while maintaining non-zero illumination output for atleast one of the first light source or the second light source, isconfigured to selectively relate to any one of: an in-focus orout-of-focus aspect of the image, a successful or unsuccessful imageacquisition, a successful or unsuccessful decoding attempt.
 7. Theimaging device of claim 1, wherein the target is illuminated with thefirst and second light sources for acquisition of the image for ashorter time than the reduced illumination output is maintained toindicate the status.
 8. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the firstlight source includes an arrangement of a first number of infrared lightemitting diodes (LEDs); and wherein the second light source includes anarrangement of a second number of visible-light LEDs.
 9. The imagingdevice of claim 1, wherein the indication of the status of the cameracorresponds to the image.
 10. The imaging device of claim 9, wherein thecontroller device is further configured to control the camera to executeoperations that include acquiring a preceding image prior to acquiringthe image; and wherein the indication of the status of the cameracorresponds to the preceding image.
 11. The imaging device of claim 10,wherein the controller device is further configured to control theplurality of light sources to execute operations that include:illuminating the target, using the first and second light sourcessimultaneously, for acquisition of the preceding image of the target bythe camera; and deactivating the first and second light sources betweenacquiring the preceding image and acquiring the image.
 12. The imagingdevice of claim 1, wherein illuminating the target using the first andsecond light sources includes projecting a first illumination patternwith the first light source and a second illumination pattern with thesecond light source; and wherein the first and second illuminationpatterns substantially overlap so that a combined illumination patternis shown in primarily a single color.
 13. The imaging device of claim12, wherein a shape of the combined illumination pattern is preservedduring the reducing of the illumination output.
 14. An optical systemfor acquiring images of a target to decode symbols in the images orperform other analysis, the optical system comprising: an imaging deviceconfigured to acquire the image; and an illumination system that isintegrated into the imaging device and includes a plurality of lightsources, including a first light source configured to provideillumination of a first wavelength and a second light source configuredto provide illumination of a second wavelength that is different fromthe first wavelength, the illumination provided by the second lightsource substantially overlapping with the illumination provided by thefirst light source; and a controller device configured to control theplurality of light sources and the imaging device to execute operationsthat include: acquiring a first image of the target with the imagingdevice while illuminating the target with the first and second lightsources simultaneously; and reducing an illumination output of the firstlight source, while maintaining non-zero illumination output for thesecond light source, wherein reducing the illumination output of atleast one of the first light source or the second light source indicatesa first status of the optical system associated with the acquisition ofthe first image.
 15. The optical system of claim 14, further comprising:an integrated sensor configured to measure a distance between the targetand the imaging device.
 16. The optical system of claim 15, furthercomprising: an integrated laser projector configured to mark a field ofview of the imaging device.
 17. The optical system of claim 14, whereinreducing the illumination output of the first light source, whilemaintaining non-zero illumination output for the second light source,provides a change in an illumination color projected by the illuminationsystem onto the target to indicate the first status of the opticalsystem; and wherein the illumination system is configured to selectivelyprovide different changes in the illumination color projected by theillumination system onto the target to indicate different statuses ofthe optical system.
 18. The optical system of claim 14, wherein thecontroller device is further configured to control the plurality oflight sources and the imaging device to execute operations that include:analyzing the first image; and causing the imaging device to acquire asecond image of the target with the first and second light sourceactivated; wherein the first status depends on a result of the analyzingof the first image; and wherein controller device is configured toreduce the illumination output of the first light source, whilemaintaining the non-zero illumination output for the second light sourceto indicate the first status after causing the imaging device to acquirethe second image.
 19. The optical system of claim 18, wherein theanalyzing of the first image includes attempting to decode a symbol inthe first image; and wherein the reducing of the illumination output ofthe first light source, while maintaining the non-zero illuminationoutput for the second light source, indicates a result of the attempt todecode the symbol.
 20. A method for indicating a status for imageacquisition or analysis, for use with an optical system that includes acontroller device, an imaging device that is configured to acquireimages of a target for decoding of a symbol on the target or otheranalysis, and an illumination system that includes a plurality of lightsources, including a first light source configured to provideillumination of a first wavelength and a second light source configuredto provide illumination of a second wavelength that is different fromthe first wavelength, the method comprising: illuminating the target,using the first and second light sources simultaneously, for acquisitionof an image of the target by the imaging device; attempting to decodeone or more symbols in the image; identifying, using the controllerdevice, a first status of the optical system that results from theattempt to decode the one or more symbols; and reducing an illuminationoutput of at least one of the first light source or the second lightsource, while maintaining non-zero illumination output for at least oneof the first light source or the second light source, wherein reducingthe illumination output of at least one of the first light source or thesecond light source indicates a first status of the optical system.